Detective Swan, Meet Commander Jones
by ArtsyDJ
Summary: Emma and Killian have been assigned as new partners in the NYPD. They've barely been working together for two weeks before the fun begins. Partners, CS AU
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer** \- I do not own Once Upon A Time or any of the characters.

**A/N** \- I've been toying with this story for a long time and am finally getting it out. Some of the NYPD notes are thanks to Blue Bloods and another, much older police show I used to watch. I feel like, as a whole, Emma's and Killian's characters in Once lend themselves quite well to the ones I'm using them for.

Thank you for reading!

* * *

"Detective Swan, meet your new partner, Commander Killian Jones." For a brief moment, Emma just stood there willing her brain to function. Blinking to clear her head, she shook it briefly as she could barely believe the sight standing in front of her.

After what felt like an eternity with her heart pounding in her chest, Emma stuck out her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Killian." She said, forcing a smile. Those eyes, they entranced her with a power unknown to most.

Killian knew, as he held her hand for just a millisecond too long, only releasing it as she cleared her throat. He reached for the back of his head, a clear sign of embarrassment. "So, how long have you been with the department Detective?"

At this point she had already headed back to her, or rather their, desk. He couldn't think straight at this point.

"Here are the current cases I'm… or, I guess… we're working on." She almost seemed to choke on the words as they came out. Handing the files across the desk, she couldn't quite meet his eyes.

"Thanks." Killian muttered.

He knew there was something special about this Emma Swan. He wasn't sure exactly what it was….

And so as their first week was off to a great start, at least in his mind, he insisted on worming his way into her life and getting to know all the pieces that made up Emma.

* * *

Emma shoved her apartment door open, arms loaded with a few grocery bags and her computer bag. "Finally, some peace and quiet…" she grumbled as she unloaded.

She'd had it with Killian's insistence on their little getting to know each other chats as they moved about their week. He'd even made it a point to stop for coffee, or lunch, or find any way to could to infuse some casual conversation into their days. Frustrated as all get out, she put away the groceries with a fury, tossing things here and there, careful not to break any glass, other than that, anything was free game.

She knew she needed to run, needed to do something to escape her rampant thoughts. With her mind filled to the brim with memories of Graham and her, she changed her clothes and headed to the gym. Hopeful that a half hour on the treadmill would clear her mind. If not that, then maybe some punches to one of the punching bags littered around the gym would calm her down. Or both. She'd take anything at this point.

* * *

Killian walked home from work, unfazed by the thoughts swarming in his mind about Emma Swan. The woman intrigued him, he'd never had a partner like her in his career. She was a fierce, walls up, stubborn, hardcore detective to say the least.

He would get inside her head. He would crack those walls. Because he knew from the second they shook hands that there was already a love growing in his heart for her.

* * *

Emma ran, she ran hard. Racing to escape the memories that threatened to drown her. Graham had barely been gone two months, one of those months she'd been forced to take off. The hurt, betrayal...guilt. All the feelings and emotions that had threatened her night and day. Most had finally spilled at her required therapy sessions. Those stupid government enforced sessions that she'd started off hating, had become therapeutic.

Her lack of family, growing up in foster homes. Homes full of abuse. Homes where even she didn't feel safe. After years of searching, she had made her way to the city and into a job that she loved. Being a detective meant not only finding people, but also getting justice. Two things that pumped her adrenaline and kept her going.

Running in itself was freeing. So freeing in fact that she didn't even realize she'd been at it for over an hour and had totally wiped herself out. Her legs felt like noodles as she walked home.

It was after midnight when she arrived home and after a quick shower, she still needed to wind down. She heated up water for tea and opened her computer, pulling up a search for Commander Killian Jones.

Two hours later Emma found herself fighting sleep, hunched over her computer. Finally she gave in, exhausted she closed her computer. She'd found out enough about the Commander to make her head spin.


	2. Chapter 2

"Good Morning, Swan." The accent drew Emma from her haze, looking up from the paperwork on her desk only to come nearly face to face with those dark eyes and a bit of leftover stubble. A bit startled, Emma backed up slightly to put some space between them. Had Killian had a late night too? "Morning, Jones." She mumbled through her not yet caffeinated brain.

She wiped her hand over her face. "Have you found anything yet?" He sat on the edge of her desk as he sipped his coffee. "Not a thing." She pushed away from the desk and leaned back in her chair. "Maybe we need to take a little trip back to the scene…" Her voice trailed off as their eyes met. "Aye." He snatched up the keys to their cruiser as she grabbed her jacket.

* * *

The fact that they flowed together so well as they worked through various cases did not go unnoticed by either of them, nor their boss, David Nolan.

Out of the corner of his office, David noticed them heading out. A brief smile came across his face. Killian seemed to be just what the doctor ordered for Emma. She'd been in such a dark since Graham's passing that even he didn't know what to do with her at times.

David and his wife Mary were the closest thing Emma had to "family." They were her most trusted friends. She was "auntie" to their young son. Emma had even let Mary Margaret in on a few of the deep secrets that no one seemed to know.

It was a wonderful thing for Emma that she had finally found some trusted people to have in her corner.

* * *

Some days moved in slow motion and others flew by as the flowed so well with each other that neither seemed to notice. Or maybe they did.

To him, Emma was a mystery. A mystery to solve. She was reserved most of the time, but doggone it all, this woman was easily the most stubborn woman he'd ever met.

And yet, day in and day out, he got to work with her. He had the opportunity daily to sit across from her.

* * *

Emma had been boxing that morning. Getting out some of the aggression she felt. Much of it stemmed from her childhood, from the lack of having a family, from the feeling of abandonment that came with her past. But then came the raw moments of her job, those that kicked her in the gut, the moments that threatened to tear her heart in two.

She leaned in for a punch, then another, laying it on her opponent quite heavily that morning.

But then it all crashed, or so it seemed. She moved, but her opponent was quicker. As Emma tried to shift her feet, her right one caught on something and twisted.

She went down, hard. Ankle throbbing, but unwilling to acknowledge the sensation.

"You okay, Swan?" Regina had taken off her headgear after realizing Emma was hurt.

An exasperated sigh came from the blonde's lips. "Yeah, I'm good."

Regina reached for Emma's hands, "c'mon, let's hit up the showers." "Alright. I just really wanted to get you…" She shot a glare to Regina that could have cut to the core.

Eyebrows raised, Regina just stood there, willing Emma to try her patience. "Let's go."

Begrudgingly Emma let the dark haired woman pull her up. Once standing Emma realized the pain was worse, but quickly decided to walk it off. She'd be fine after a shower.

Showering didn't help, the hot water only seemed to make things worse. Her ankle looked like a bloated corpse. And boy did it hurt. Eventually Emma got dressed for work, her swollen ankle not fitting in to her shoes, she opted for her athletic sneakers. "Stupid ankle." She grumbled as she shoved her foot into one of her sneakers.

Sadly it was the same ankle one of her foster fathers had broken when he'd shoved her down the stairs at fourteen. He had pretty much refused she get it looked at for fear he'd get charged with child abuse. So she'd limped around for weeks with the excuse that it was just sprained. A few years later she'd found herself in the ER and x-rays that confirmed a healed break. "Damn you. You stupid piece of shit." The words tumbled out as rage surfaced from her past. Why had her parents left her to grow up alone?

Her mood was not one to be messed with this morning. She was ready to give someone a piece of her mind as she shoved her way on to the subway. Why was everywhere so crowded this morning? Her attitude coupled with her pain level had her swearing under her breath and made for an infuriating commute to the precinct this morning.


	3. Chapter 3

Killian knew something was up from the moment he saw Emma that morning. She shuffled in to work the morning after her little escapade. Killian, of course, was the first to notice. "Swan!" He proclaimed. "What happened?" If looks could kill, Emma would have killed him a few times over. "Nothing, I'm fine." She insisted as she made a break for her desk.

She slouched down in her chair as Killian followed and sat across from her in his chair. Emma flipped open some files and scanned through her email. "Have we heard anything new on the Williams case?" Killian looked up from his file abruptly, "uh no, nothing." All the time she was totally unaware of the fact that Killian was studying her like an open book.

Their boss, David appeared from his office stating that he'd gotten an anonymous call on a case they were working.

"C'mon partner." Emma rolled her eyes as she stared Killian down. "Let's go hunt down this piece of shit." "Yes m'lady." Killian quipped, which resorted in yet another roll of Emma's eyes.

Emma had to swallow a gasp as she put weight on her ankle. She ended up pushing herself up thanks to her desk and limped out the doorway, grabbing her coat on the way.

Killian dutifully followed her down the stairs to the car. All the while keeping himself in check as his partner limped her way down the stairs. He knew it wasn't smart, the way she was treating it, but the woman he'd come to know was not one to give herself any room for emotion, or feeling.

He was going to have to wear her down or wait until she couldn't hide. This could be a long day he thought silently as he slid in behind the wheel.

They rode in silence to the address David had given them. Killian noticed Emma's grimace more than once. Her leg was extended in front of her, probably trying to take some weight off he figured.

"This is it." Emma announced as they pulled up beside a brick building.

Killian beat Emma to opening her door and reached out his hand. Emma glanced up at him. "C'mon Swan, just let me help." Emma huffed. "Fine." She did take his hand and he pulled her to his feet.

What neither of them expected was for Emma to stumble as she placed weight on her already weak ankle and ended up pressed against Killian's body. For a split second neither moved, both gasping slightly at the feeling. As quickly as it started though, reality hit both and Killian stepped back, as did Emma. Clearly shocked and surprised at how good it felt, Emma cleared her throat and Killian dropped her hand.

Keeping her eyes resolutely on the ground and once again shuffling, Emma closed the car door. "Let's go." Her tone nearing demanding and quite low.

"Aye." Was all Killian could croak out of his throat. Feeling the heat crawl up his neck, he nodded following her silently inside.

Emma eyed the stairwell and groaned. It was barely above a whisper, but Killian didn't miss it. They taunted her, but she just took them slowly, one freaking meticulous step after another.

As they approached the landing, Emma let out the breath she was holding. She'd made it.

After a brief confrontation with the person in question, they were allowed into the apartment for some questions. All of them unfortunately ending in a string of dead ends for them. They weren't there for more than about fifteen minutes before they left, but they spent the entire time on their feet and Emma's ankle was throbbing.

Once again she took the stairs very, very carefully and amazingly she'd made it nearly to the bottom. She was indeed only two steps from the bottom, _two steps_, when her ankle protested the day's activity and gave out. Which in turn sent her to the ground as her foot rolled. Killian was hot on her heels and saw the scene unfold in slow motion. "Emma!" He leapt toward her, reaching for her as she fell. But she was just out of reach...

Emma landed in a heap. "Crap!"

Killian was at her side instantly. "Swan!" Emma forced herself upright and into a sitting position. She took a deep breath as she leaned back against the wall, staring at her foot. "Great…" She grumbled.

Her foot throbbed and she blew a defeated breath out her nose. "Can you help me back to the car?" Her tear filled eyes meeting his. No sooner than the question was out than was she in his arms being carried to the cruiser. "Whoa, I said nothing about you carrying me!" She all but screamed.

He shrugged as he set her down. "Sorry Swan, I didn't see another way around it." He gently and carefully moved to lift her injured leg into the car.

She huffed, but a quick "thank you" escaped her lips. She didn't trust her voice, with a lump already forming in her throat, her voice raw, trying to keep her emotions at bay. "You're welcome, love."

Killian reached to start the car, eyeing Emma warily. "Can I get you some ice or something?" Emma let a soft, albeit defeated, breath out through her nose. "Probably…" Her voice trailed off and she continued a concerted effort to steady her breathing.

"Emma." His soft tone drawing her out of her pity party. She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to feel any of the emotions. Not the love, or warmth. Not the pain either.

Killian tried again, "Emma, I think we get your ankle looked at by a doctor."

She swallowed hard against what she knew was the right thing to do. Setting her shoulders against what she knew could undoubtedly come down to a fight, she responded as calmly as possible. "I'm fine." She stated. "I just need to get home and ice this sucker."

She glanced his way, eventually meeting his eyes. "Please, can you just take me home?"

"If you're sure that's what you want."

"It is."

Emma grabbed for her phone to let David know what had happened. He, being the wonderful human that he was, of course told her to take the afternoon off to rest.

"Thanks, David. See you in the morning." Conversation finished, she turned her attention to the man next to her.

"David said that's fine. We can have the afternoon off…" Emma's voice cracking as she finished her sentence, realizing that Killian was about to find out more about her. Especially if he insisted on helping her to her apartment, which she was sure he would.


	4. Chapter 4

"Here's my address." She said, showing Killian her phone screen.

He just about choked as he read the address. "That's your address?" His eyes were huge as the realization hit him.

"Yeah. Why? What's wrong?" A very confused Emma questioned.

After pausing a moment to regain his composure, Killian glanced her way again. "Well love, that's my address too."

Now she was the one caught off guard. Stunned by the realization that for two weeks they'd been working together, and today; well, today could wait. How in the world had they not run in to each other?

"Ohhh. Okay, so…." sentence unfinished Emma sat back as Killian began to direct the car toward their building.

Emotions, feelings, them having full contact earlier, just that. All those things hung in the air, unspoken of by either, but not forgotten. Definitely not forgotten.

Emma was still struggling to process the day by the time Killian parked. "C'mon, Swan. Let's get you upstairs."

"Yeah, okay." It was all Emma could offer after all that happened in the past few hours.

"Can you stand?" His words were gentle as he offered his hand again to help her out. "I think so."

It turned out that standing with a bad ankle, and a brain spinning like a tilt-a-whirl wasn't a great combo and, for the second time today, Emma ended up in his arms.

"It's all right love. I've got you." His touch was like a feather, a feather loaded with strength mind you. But it was so soft, gosh, she'd never felt something like it before.

It took Killian a small bit of wrestling to get her apartment number out of her lips, but he finally managed and once they were in front of her door, he relinquished his hold on her, carefully setting her on her good foot and making sure she'd stay upright this time.

She reached for her keys and unlocked the door. Home. Finally. She took a deep breath, preparing to hop inside gasping as she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist.

Emma just shook her head. "I'm fine Killian." She stated. Emphasizing the _fine_ part for what seemed to be the fiftieth time.

"Oh I'm sure you are Swan." Sarcasm cut through his tone. "Just fine." He didn't let go until he was satisfied that she was safely on the couch, with her legs elevated and her injured ankle pointedly set on a pillow.

"But as long as I'm here, you'll have to deal with being taken care of. Because I'm not going anywhere until I know that you are indeed fine."

Emma folded her arms across her chest, huffing as she let out a breath. "Whatever."

Killian turned toward the kitchen in search of ice. Once he had that in hand, he tenderly set it on her ankle. She gasped at the cold. "You okay?"

"Yeah. It was just cold."

Satisfied that he hadn't hurt her more, he headed to grab some pain killers and water. With those gathered he turned his attention back to his partner.

She downed the pills and water gratefully. Grateful for the ice seeping in and cooling her ankle.

Suddenly her stomach growled and she was quickly aware of the time. "2:30!" She exclaimed "no wonder I'm hungry!"

Killian looked up from his phone. "I didn't realize it was quite that late. Can I order us a pizza?" Emma nodded, a slight smile coming across her face, "that sounds good."

"Preference on toppings?" "Just extra cheese." She added, eyes closed.

"Alright I'll get it ordered." He smiled as he watched her doze.

While they waited for the pizza, Emma snoozed as Killian caught up with some emails on his phone.

A knock on the door brought Emma back to the land of the living. "Swan?" Emma opened her eyes to find Killian practically in her face. He backed up quickly as he realized she was awake. "Pizza's here." He gestured toward the coffee table. He'd taken the liberty to find plates and napkins. There were two glasses of water ready as well.

Clearly he'd made himself at home while she slept. "We need to get your ankle wrapped too."

"Yeah, I know." Emma rubbed her eyes, wondering how long she had actually been asleep. "Do you have an elastic bandage?" It took just a second for her sleepy brain to catch up. "Oh yeah, it's in the first aid kit above the fridge." She pointed toward the kitchen.

Emma grunted as she tried to move her ankle. Not only was it stiff, oh boy was it ever stiff, but even the slightest movement sent throbbing waves through it. What she didn't expect was the nausea that accompanied the pain. She reached up to cover her mouth as her stomach churned.

Killian returned, bandage in hand, and settled on the coffee table. He reached out his hand, ready to examine and wrap her ankle. "It's okay, love. I'm ready." She thought she saw a slight smile run across his lips as she concentrated on lifting her leg.

The commander gently prodded around her ankle. As he touched the outside of her ankle, he hit a spot that sent pain tearing up Emma's leg. "Ow, oh! Gosh that hurts! What in the world did you do?" It was that moment that Killian knew Emma had done more damage than she figured.

"Oh Emma…" His soft voice trailed off as her heart sank. His tone and the fact that he used her first name told her everything she needed to know.

"Let me guess… I probably broke it?" She met his eyes, silently pleading for news other than what he'd found. His face fell. "That's my best guess, love."

Dramatic Emma threw her head against the pillows cushioning the arm of the couch. "Why?" She yelled in to the air. "Why?!" Pain and exasperation filled her voice.

"I'm so sorry love." Killian cut in as he began to wrap her tender ankle.

* * *

Killian went back to his apartment only after Emma promised to stay off her feet as much as possible and with strict orders to call him if she needed anything.

"Goodnight Swan, I'll see you in the morning." Killian said, ducking out the door. "Night, Jones." She paused, "uh, thank you." Killian nodded as a warm smile graced his face. "It was my pleasure, Swan. I'll be over to pick you up in the morning." Emma nodded and locked the door behind him.

She immediately limped back to the couch and flipped on the tv, desperately hoping to escape her racing thoughts.


	5. Chapter 5

Emma spent the better part of the night tossing and turning, seeking out a comfortable position for sleeping. The throbbing in her ankle sending waves of pain throughout her leg and ushering in nightmares to her already fitful sleep.

Each nightmare proving itself more and more real, eventually leaving Emma in a panicked state, gasping for air as she tried to free herself from their grasp.

The next morning found a very sleep deprived, very grumpy Emma limping badly toward her door. Killian had promised to drive her to work and here he was, bright and early.

Too bright and early if you asked her. "Swan?" Came a concerned voice from the opposite side of the door.

"Morning." It was all she could get out as the morning had already eaten up a ton of her energy. Somehow she'd managed to shower and get dressed, but other than that… well her stomach was churning against the pain and she honestly felt like throwing up.

She grasped the door handle for support as she opened the door. Stumbling as she placed even the slightest amount of weight on her foot, Killian caught her and with a strong hand on her elbow, escorted her to the closest chair and sat her down.

"Stay."

"Really? What am I, a dog?" Emma folded her arms angrily and sat back with a huff.

Killian just smirked as he turned toward her kitchen. "Swan, that ankle looks terrible. I'll get some ice."

He should have noticed it last night, but as he opened her freezer for ice he realized an abundance of ice cream. "Sweet tooth, much?" It was muttered under his breath and totally out of her earshot.

"We're gonna be late!" Killian smirked, Swan was not happy. Well so be it. Yes, they would be late, but not due to the morning's activities.

Emma needed an exam and xrays. And from what his exam last night told him, probably a cast and crutches. All of which he knew she would protest against come hell or high water. He may have only known her for two weeks, but he could read her like an open book.

Returning with the ice, he dropped it on her ankle, eliciting a gasp from her mouth. "Ow! What was that for?"

Killian sat down across from her, "Well, Swan, if you're going to keep insisting that you're fine, then you shouldn't care if someone treats you like you are indeed fine." He shrugged as he stated it matter of factly.

Emma rolled her eyes and grumbled something under her breath. Killian smirked as he took a deep breath to help prepare him for the next task - convincing Emma to go to the Emergency Room.

"That ankle needs a doctor's attention." He stated, gesturing toward her foot. To that, Emma lowered her chin and narrowed her eyes on Killian, trying to figure him out. She just stared for a long moment, willing to find something in him, something that would clue her in as to why he cared. She didn't find anything and to her complete surprise, she actually was falling in to those caring eyes of his.

"Fine. I'll go. But I never said I'd be happy about it." Killian nodded his head. "Never said you had to be." Killian smirked. Emma would be damned before she would give in to someone helping her. "What do you need before we go?" Emma looked down and inspected herself. She was dressed, but hadn't gotten as far as shoes. "I need shoes." Emma eyed her swollen ankle. "Well, a shoe at least." Her admission brought a small chuckle to their tense moments. Killian had also inspected her clothing choices. "I think…" He paused. "I think you need a pair of looser pants. That way if it is indeed broken, they won't have to cut your pant leg." Emma rolled her eyes. "Great. That's all I need today."

Emma conceded to Killian's suggestion and slowly limped to her bedroom, emerging dressed in a pair of track pants. "Think these will work?" She asked as she pinched the fabric. "Perfect." The words rolled off Killian's tongue in a near pur before he had a chance to realize his tone. He gathered himself quickly and helped Emma sit again.

A few moments later Killian once again scooped Emma up into his arms. "Killian! What are you doing?" Yep, there was her insistent protesting. "You can't walk on that ankle, Swan." His eyes bore a hole in her heart. What power did this man posses that turned her insides to jello with a simple look? She opened her mouth to say something, most likely protest again, only to close it, realizing he was not going to let her so much as even hop and there was no point in wasting her already lessened energy on fighting.

* * *

If there was one thing Emma could be grateful for today, it was the fact that she was NYPD and that the ER fast tracked injured cops.

Emma laid her head back on the pillows, taking in the scene. Her swollen and bruised ankle had been set on a stack of pillows and a nurse had set an icepack on it. Killian was clearly nervous, his knee bouncing as he waited impatiently for her xrays.

When the doctor finally returned, Emma's patience was shot. "What's the damage?" She asked, tensley. "Well Detective, you've got a third degree sprain and a beautiful fracture which might need surgery." Emma's head shot up at that. "Surgery?" Yes, if you want everything to heal well, then surgery might be in the picture. I'm going to refer you to an orthopedic surgeon for a follow up." Emma took a deep breath and nodded, unfortunately having to accept her fate. "Okay." She said softly.

The doctor squared in on her eyes making sure she was serious and not playing him. "This really is for the best, Detective." "I know. Thank you."

"I'll send someone in to splint you and we'll get you set up with a pair of crutches today."

* * *

Frustration coursed through Emma's veins as she was forced to take a seat in the wheelchair for the mandatory ride out to Killian's car.

"You okay, love?" Killian finally spoke as he slid in behind the wheel. "No, I'm not. I'm frustrated as hell. I can't walk, I can't work, I might need surgery. My life sucks right now!" Her voice rising as she vented the frustrations she'd been holding in.

Killian nodded, staying carefully quiet as he allowed her the space to breathe. Although Emma had only been in his life for two weeks, he knew it wouldn't take much for her to feel smothered.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N - It's about to get fun. Hang in there as Killian and Emma have a little bit of "fun" this afternoon. ;)**

* * *

Per the doctor's orders (and against Emma's wishes), Killian took her straight home and made sure she was set up on her couch.

Even though Emma was so exhausted that she could barely keep her balance on crutches, she adamantly made her ideas known that he should have taken her to the station. Killian just shook his head and swallowed a sigh of relief as Emma lowered her body down onto the soft cushions of her couch. As her body relaxed, she in turn breathed a long sigh of relief. Her partner very gently lifted her injured ankle onto the pile of pillows he'd amassed on her sofa. Emma settled in against the pillow lining the arm of the couch and heaved another long sigh.

"Can you hand me my computer? I may not be able to physically chase criminals right now, but I'll be damned if I don't do some kind of work…" She grumbled. A tiny smile came across Killian's lips as he silently handed her the laptop and carefully observed her actions.

While Emma signed on to their secure network to begin hunting for the idiot they were looking for, Killian stepped away and out of her earshot enough to call their boss, David.

"Killian? How's Emma?" David's voice cracked as he answered. Killian knew they were close, but through David's tone, he understood far more than David could ever tell him about his and Emma's relationship. Killian took a deep breath. "She's okay. Her ankle is fractured and thanks to one of her stupid foster dads she more than likely needs surgery." David swallowed hard. "Surgery?" "Aye." "Huh." Killian began again. "Did Emma ever tell about some of the sleazy people she had in her life growing up?" "Some, yes." "Well, apparently there was this one family she was with during her freshman year of high school. The dad of that family was a jack ass and shoved her down the stairs. She broke her ankle, but because he was afraid they'd charge him with child abuse he refused allowing her to get it checked out. So Emma limped around while it healed...and now, because it never healed properly, surgery's in the picture." "Wow, yeah I didn't know that story. She's eluded to the rough life she lived, but I had no idea there were people like that in her life…"

"Yeah, well I'm not thrilled at all about some of the jerks, but there's nothing that can be done now. Aside from proving ourselves trustworthy that is." Killian noted the breath on the other end of the line as David heaved an audibly loud sigh of agreement.

Killian inhaled deeply again and poked his head back in to check on Emma. Her head was starting to drop, but every time it fell she pulled herself together and jerked it up. "Well I should go, Dave. I'll let you know once I have more info on anything." "Thanks for the update Killian. I'm glad she has someone there to trust. Let me know how Mary Margaret and I can help." "Will do. Thanks again."

Killian knew she needed a nap, but there'd be no way to convince her of that. So instead, he offered to fix her a cup of tea and watch a movie. Surprisingly, Emma didn't put up a fuss at the offer. She closed her laptop and leaned back on the couch. He figured she was probably too exhausted from the morning's activities.

He handed her the warm mug and turned on something he knew she'd enjoy. Something like Back to The Future. He'd heard enough quotes over the last couple of weeks to tell him she'd watched it alot. And sure enough, about halfway through the movie Killian heard the sounds of Emma's smooth, deep breaths. A broad smile came across his face, she'd given in without even knowing. It was pretty clever if he did say so himself. Good for her, he thought silently. After he was assured that she was asleep, he paused the movie and moved to clean up a bit. He set the mugs in the sink and moved Emma's crutches so they'd be handy when she woke. His next order of business was to find something more suitable than ice cream for lunch.

He smiled as he opened her refrigerator and smiled. Emma's fridge was well stocked, that is if you're a broke college kid which she very clearly wasn't. He surveyed the items, orange juice, milk, a loaf of bread, cheese, a few eggs. He stood up and shook his head. "Oh Swan, what am I going to do with you?" He chuckled.

Opening the cabinets brought a whole other round of amusement to his face. Fruit Loops, other various cold cereals, hot chocolate mix, coffee, tea bags, cans of soup, pasta, etc. Mostly quick cooking items. Shaking his head, he turned around, only to be caught off guard by his partner, standing in the doorway, a look of amusement danced across her face, gingerly holding her injured ankle up. "What's this about my food choices, Jones?" She cocked an eyebrow at him as she giggled. It was all Killian could do to muffle a laugh himself. He'd imagined Emma was cute when she laughed, but she was even cuter in her current state. Obviously the painkillers had taken effect and obviously Emma was unaware of their current impact on her.

As Killian approached her to convince her to sit back down, Emma unexpectedly leaned into him. She drew in a deep breath and pressed her lips against his. Startled, Killian began to step back, only to realize he was subconsciously leaning into it as well. With Emma's hands occupied with the crutches, she couldn't run her fingers through his hair like she wanted, but that sure as heck didn't stop her from kissing those insanely gorgeous lips.

Like glass shattering without warning, they both stopped. Embarrassed at her actions, Emma's cheeks became rosy as she fixed her eyes on the ground. "Sorry. I...I don't know what came over me." She mumbled as she began to turn and head out of the room. "Emma, wait." Killian gently stopped her, his fingers wrapping around her arm. "It's okay love. I was party to it as well." Emma nodded and finally met his eyes, willing him to understand that this was not like her.

Killian followed Emma back to the couch and made sure she was settled. "I think we need to get some food in you, love." A soft chuckle came from Emma. "After that? I guess so."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N - This chapter ended up longer and went in a direction far different than I originally planned, but it feels so good (to me at least!). Hopefully you'll enjoy!**

* * *

Mutually decided on Chinese delivery for their afternoon meal, Killian wore Emma down enough to convince her that she needed some better food in her pantry.

After lunch, they made their way to the nearest grocery store. Let the grocery games ensue. This should be fun.

"Uh yeah, no." Emma snorted softly and raised her eyebrows at Killian's suggestion that she ride through the store in one of those electric carts. "These will do me just fine." She narrowed her eyes on Killian as she shook her crutches. Killian shook his head, "fine, suit yourself Swan. But don't come crying to me when you're exhausted halfway through the store. I've been in your boat, and believe me, those stupid little carts can be a godsend." He quirked his eyebrow at her still trying to figure out why she chose to be so stinking stubborn.

They traversed the aisles looking for anything that would make Emma happy to eat. Killian insisted on nutrition over flavor, while Emma adamantly took the opposing position. Did we really think she wouldn't?

"Really Swan? I figured you'd know better at your age…" Killian voiced his concerns and visibly grimaced as she tossed a box of sugary cold cereal in the cart. She leveled back a frosty look that shut Killian up. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

Eventually Killian did manage to convince her to add a few fruits and veggies to her cart, sugary and concealed as though they may be. And Emma did end up swallowing her grimace as her arms were exhausted only part of their way through the store. She'd never let Killian know and pasted a smile on her face and trudged on.

Finally done, Emma breathed a soft sigh of relief as Killian took her crutches and helped her into his car. "Thanks." Killian smiled. "My pleasure."

* * *

Killian took seriously the task of unloading their bags as he organized her kitchen. Emma sat at the table watching him with wide eyes. She'd only learned basic homemaking tasks from the foster parents who actually cared about her future, and those were few and far between. The Navy, however, had been much more kind to him, teaching him skills that anyone should have as basic knowledge.

Her mind wandered as she took in the scene before her. Why did he take such an interest in taking care of her? She still couldn't understand why she mattered. Sure, David and his wife, Mary Margaret cared about her, but even they didn't draw her in the way Killian did.

A knock at the door interrupted both of their thoughts. Killian looked her direction, "you stay put. I'll get it, love." Emma nodded her agreement to his wishes. He unlocked and opened the door, stepping back in surprise at who was on the other side. "Dave, hi. What're you doing here?" David stepped forward, quickly introducing Killian to his wife, Mary. A small bouquet of flowers was in his hand as he approached Emma.

Emma moved to stand, reaching for her crutches but David waved the idea off with a quick motion for her to stay seated. "David…" His name was mentioned almost breathlessly as she could barely believe that he and Mary had made the effort to stop by for a visit. David reached out to hug Emma and she embraced him as he gently cradled her head. Killian observed the sweet, almost familial, moment. Mary Maragaret was hot on her husband's heels as Emma barely had a split second to breathe in between the hugs.

Gently rubbing her large bump, Mary Margaret sank into the chair next to Emma. Emma's eyes were trained on David, though as he sought out a vase for the flowers. "David?" The quick call of his name caught his attention. "There's a vase above the fridge." He smiled and nodded as he quickly placed them in the vase and brought them to the table.

David placed his hands on his wife's shoulders. "So we were out for dinner and decided to grab enough for all of us. Hopefully it's okay that we crashed the evening." He smiled tentatively as they all waited for Emma's response. A slight smile came across her face as she nodded. "Of course it's alright. It's not like I had anything else planned for tonight…" She chuckled as she gestured toward her wrapped up leg. That elicited a chuckle from everyone as Killian pulled out plates and cups and David removed the takeout containers from the bags.

Although the evening turned out much differently than either Emma or Killian had planned, it was so sweet sharing some time and dinner with people who cared about her.

Mary Margaret updated Emma on her latest doctor visit, saying that the little guy could be here any day. Emma filled them in on her ER visit and that she would most likely be having surgery on her ankle in a few days.

Another round of sweet hugs, and her friends were off. As Emma got ready for bed, the questions about their kiss earlier were spinning in her brain, weaving a tangled web.

Flipping off the bathroom light and heading toward the sounds of soapy water and dishes clanging, she found her partner cleaning up from the unexpected dinner. "You don't have to do that, you know." Her voice soft, almost bordering on raw as she moved to take a seat. She leaned her crutches against the table and took a seat as Killian turned to meet her gaze. "I know…" he sighed, "it's just been so long since anyone has let me help care for, and about, them."

Emma nodded not trusting her voice. Killian returned to his task of washing and drying the dishes.

"Thank you." Emma cleared her throat. "For helping me." She added, shrugging. Killian didn't miss the catch in her voice as she spoke. He dried his hands and took a seat across from her at the table.

His voice soft as he spoke. "You're welcome. I can't think of a better way to spend my day." "Why me, though?" She swallowed hard as though not quite prepared to ask the question and very much not ready for the truth in his answer. "I've been in town about a month, and I was desperate to find a way to escape the claws of my former life." By this time Emma had leaned in, folding her arms in front of her as she intently listened. "My wife passed away several years ago. Shortly after I joined the Navy actually. She was my light..." He paused "...my everything. After she passed I found myself drowning in work and not even willing to see anything else." "Oh Killian...I'm so sorry." "It's okay. Not many people know, but you deserve the truth. And honestly speaking, when I met you a couple of weeks ago I knew there was something special about you. I felt a spark in me like I hadn't felt since she was alive."

Emma swallowed past the lump that had risen in her throat. She didn't even realize that her cheeks had become wet. Sniffling, she began, "it's just that people have never really put me first. I've never been chosen. I've always seen myself as damaged and unwanted."

In the midst of the their confessions, both of them had tears in their eyes and with already heightened emotions, Killian stood and embraced Emma. He held her for a brief moment before leaning down and planting a kiss on her beautiful lips. A silent affirmation that she was indeed wanted and chosen.

After a few seconds they broke apart and he scooped her up, carrying her to the couch. It had become late and her body was wrought with exhaustion. He lowered her down, gently, and placed a pillow under her ankle and one behind her back.

Emma relaxed immediately and was fast asleep in a matter of seconds. Killian covered her, turned off the lights and settled into one of her easy chairs for some shut eye himself.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N - Stay tuned for a little more fun and fluff before we dive in deeper. And yes, it's going to get crazy in coming chapters. ;)

* * *

With another nod and thanks to the NYPD, Emma got in uncharacteristically fast with the orthopedic surgeon, who confirmed the need for surgery, which much to Emma's dismay, was scheduled for three days later.

Killian was a saint. How he managed to deal with Emma's pent up emotions no one knew. He simply dealt with her with an ease possessed by few.

Since her diagnosis, Emma seemed to live in a grouchy state. Nothing she did made her comfortable, and her brain wouldn't stop racing. The night before her surgery Killian and her got in to a bit of a squabble and Killian left her apartment early to give her some space.

In true Emma fashion as she began to mentally prepare for her surgery the following day, she threw things together she'd need while she was in the hospital. Her temper ran high after Killian's confession. During dinner that evening her had finally spilled his full feelings for her. And for the life of her she could not figure out how someone like him could find a broken, orphan like her attractive.

It nearly brought her to a point of anger. She desperately needed to run, to escape the thoughts racing through her mind. One glance at her ankle thrust her back to reality and instead she headed for her freezer in search of ice cream.

She finally flopped down on the couch, indulging her thoughts in a pint of double fudge brownie ice cream. As she spooned a bite into her mouth and was on the verge of drowning every single thought in it, her phone buzzed. It was a text from Mary Margaret just checking in to see if she was okay. After a quick reply to assure her friend that she was fine, she turned her attention back to the melting ice cream.

Killian went back to his apartment and took to his own devices, cursing himself for his idiotic confession. He chose a bottle of rum from his cabinet and a few glasses later was singing the praises of the sea as he fumbled around uselessly trying to get ready for the morning.

He finally gave in to the feeling that washed over him and crashed on the couch.

Morning came sooner than he realized and he woke to his phone buzzing furiously. He pressed a hand to his head as it throbbed from his late night decision to drink his sorrows away.

After their curt "good mornings" were exchanged, he followed Emma downstairs and loaded her bag and crutches into his car. She adamantly refused his help, heck at this point, he was just happy that she hadn't tried to drive herself.

After checking in and getting settled in her room, the waiting began…

* * *

The complete surprise of the day, was David and Mary Margaret's little guy making his appearance.

Emma's cheeks were flushed as she pulled herself farther and farther out of the anesthesia. A quick glance around the room told her that Killian had been there the entire time, unwilling to leave her side. She took a deep and pushed herself up in bed. Just then Killian appeared. "Welcome back to the land of the living, love." He wove their fingers together, gently picking up her hand and placing a tender kiss to the back. "How are you feeling?" His question tentative and voice concerned.

"I'm okay…" She paused and frowned, seeming to rethink her answer. "Really tired, having a hard time waking up." Killian nodded. "I'm sure that's to be expected, love." "Yeah, I just really want to be home."

With Mary Margaret and Neal sleeping, David stole away for a few minutes to check on Emma.

After hunting down the outpatient surgery center and a with flash of his NYPD badge, David was escorted to Emma's recovery room.

Killian had stepped out for a bit to get himself a late lunch and Emma was resting. Her surgery had gone as well as could be expected and she was just waiting for the all clear to go home.

Emma breathed in a sharp breath at his appearance."David? Is everything okay?" A warm smiled graced David's face as he moved to give Emma a hug. "Yep, everything is just fine. Mary Margaret had the baby a few hours ago." Emma's expression lightened instantly. "She did? What's his name?" David pulled out his phone to show her a picture as he proudly announced his son's name was Neal. "Oh, David, he's precious!" Emma breathed in wonder. "I wonder if they'll let me come visit quickly before I have to leave…." She said aloud.

Right then Killian appeared. "David! Hi. Everything okay?" David chuckled. "Sure is! Mary Margaret had the baby last night!"

Killian immediately reached his hand out to congratulate David. Emma smiled as the two shook hands. David glanced back at Emma who was beaming. "I'm sure you can come meet your godson before heading home. We'll see you in a little while." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze before heading back to check on his wife and newborn son.

An hour later Emma was released. After a quick check from the doctor, she and Killian were cleared to go meet little Neal.

Emma grasped the tiny bundle in her arms. "He's perfect." She breathed clearly in awe of the little life face squinting up at her.

David approached her and gently set his hand on her shoulder. "He's pretty incredible, isn't he?" "He sure is…" The conversation floated to a few different subjects, but always circled back to the tiny being in the room. Before long Emma's eyelids started drooping. Suddenly the warmth in her arms disappeared and her eyes flashed open. Mary Margaret was standing close holding her son. "Emma, I think you need to get home." She encouraged softly. "I guess so…"


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N - Sorry it's been a while since I've updated. Life has just been crazy and rough recently.**

**This chapter is more intense than I've written previously in this story. So hang on tight, it's about to get a bit wild, but I promise it'll get better, and sweeter, soon. ;)**

* * *

Killian and Emma arrived home late that evening. Emma headed straight for her bedroom. It didn't matter that she didn't change into pajamas, she just wanted sleep. Killian followed her and made sure she was as comfortable as possible. Thank goodness that he knew when to stay quiet. Smart man.

Her brain raced through his confession, then to holding precious little Neal, and last but not least to the stupid text she'd received after surgery.

Emma didn't tell Killian about the text. It was a threat, but she didn't know who from, nor where they'd managed to find her number. But she was an NYPD Detective for Pete's sake, and in her pain med filled brain she didn't take it very seriously.

The next two days were such a blur that everything ran together in her brain. If she wasn't sleeping, she was more than likely nauseous and irritated. Not being able to do anything for herself and having to rely on others was hands down the hardest part of her recovery.

She willed her brain to slow down, to stop racing. To grant her some space to breathe. But it wasn't until Killian finally announced that he was going to spend the night at his place that she let out a long sigh of relief.

Killian closed and locked the door behind himself, leaving Emma alone for the first time since her surgery two days ago. She'd become restless and he knew she needed some time to just herself, as did he for that matter.

Emma finally dozed off into a fitful sleep. Those damn nightmares still plagued her. They'd only gotten worse since re-breaking her ankle.

This one, however, felt so real. There was a man's voice, pulling her attention, then yanking her out of bed and to her feet. His hands rough on her skin. "Ow!" She wailed as he forced her to stand on both feet. "You're going to pay for what you've done Detective." The voice was harsh and cold, and yet vaguely familiar.

Suddenly Emma realized this was no nightmare. No, this was reality. She breathed. Hoping that the longer she could stall, maybe Killian would hear and come to her aid.

The man forced her to walk, grabbing her elbow to ensure she wouldn't take off on him. He commanded that she put one foot in front of the other. She cried out in pain as he demanded she feel the pain she put someone else through. Her mind spun. Who in the world was he referring to?

After she limped out of her apartment, he shoved her toward the stairwell. Threatening that if she didn't keep her voice down that he would beat her. If she was quiet then he might not. The thin promise of not being beaten kept her as quiet as possible.

Memories of being shoved down the stairs by her foster father flashed into her brain and it took every ounce of strength not to scream, to try to get someone's attention.

The man pushed her as she limped down the stairs, her ankle throbbing so badly she could barely keep moving. Outside the rain hit her like tiny bullets, thumping against her skin, making her shiver.

Suddenly she was thrown into a trunk. Her ankle throbbed with an ache that made her sick to her stomach. She felt movement but had no idea where they were going. It wasn't like her to be paralyzed with fear, but she wasn't sure how to proceed at the moment. She needed some time to think. Before she knew it, the pain had overtaken her and she blacked out. Next thing she knew, she was alone in a cold, dark room. As her eyes adjusted and her brain awoke, she realized her body ached...everywhere. He ankle felt like someone had stuck a knife in it. The splint was soaking wet. It was then that she saw a glimpse of light coming from what appeared to be a door.

A door.

* * *

Rain pelted his window as Killian glanced at his phone. 3:45 am. Who in the world would be making such a racket at this hour?

His mind immediately jumped to Emma and the threatening text she'd received yesterday. She may have not wanted him to know, but he was a detective too and could piece things together just as well as she could. Killian was out of bed and in the hallway before he could think twice. His heart stopped as he realized the door to her apartment was ajar. "No, no!"

Thinking on his feet, he quickly pulled his sleeves down to cover any fingerprints he might leave, then he gently pushed the door open.

"Emma? Where are you?" Killian's breaths were labored and shallow. He'd awoken to several thuds and what sounded to him like muffled screams.

"Swan?!" He raised his voice a notch louder in hopes of finding his partner. It was then that his eyes fell as he noticed her crutches still laying by her bed, just where he'd placed them last night. All the blood drained from his face as reality set in.

Emma _wouldn't_, well, _couldn't_ go anywhere without her crutches.

He yanked his cell phone from his pocket and punched David's contact.

A sleepy David answered his phone. "Hello?" "Dave..." His voice nearly breathless. David shot up in bed. "Killian, what is it?" Killian swallowed hard. "She's missing." "Who's missing?" "Emma."

At that David propelled himself out of bed and to the living room so as not to wake his wife. "What?!"

The next several hours were a blur. David called in all his available detectives. Killian, well, Killian was a nervous wreck as he tried his best to figure why in the world anyone would do this to Emma. Well, that and the fact that she was only two days post surgery on her ankle and he could only imagine the pain she was in. He needed to find her.

There was no way that he wouldn't find her. It didn't matter how long it took, or where it took him.

He _would_ find Emma Swan no matter what.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N - Y'all are lucky that you get another chapter so soon! ;) This one was nearly complete so I figured I'd just finish and post it. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Emma shivered in her damp pajamas. The cellar was dark and wet. In reality it had only been hours, but to her it felt like days, weeks even. But, she had a plan and as soon as she no longer heard footsteps overhead she'd begin enacting it.

The footsteps slowed, just like she'd hoped, finally hearing a thud hopeful that meant that either her captor had drunk himself silly and passed out or he had gone to sleep. It really didn't matter at this point, all that did matter was the fact that if she could get that damn door open then she'd be free.

Her mind drifted back to earlier when she'd been thrown across the cellar much like a rag doll. She'd landed on her knees and in her best effort to fool the jerk into thinking he'd hurt her more than was actually true, she slumped against the wall, slouching down and shutting her eyes as a whimper escaped her mouth.

"Yeah, that's right! You think about what you've done!" The voice growled as the footsteps retreated.

* * *

Killian was nearly out of his mind with concern as he paced his apartment waiting for any news on his Swan.

They'd gotten their hands on all the reports, checked out the traffic cameras, even talked to a few patrons of a local bar. All led to dead ends. Dead ends with no news on Emma's whereabouts.

He'd be lying, though if he said he hadn't gotten sick to his stomach when they got a match on the car...finally.

* * *

Trying to fit the pieces together and in nearly blinding pain, Emma crawled toward the light. She tried the handle, nothing. "Crap." She whispered, frustrated that it was going to take more effort on her part.

Gathering her strength, as best she could Emma hurled herself at the door with as much force as she could muster in her current state. The door busted open, momentarily startling her and leaving her lying on the sidewalk.

The cool damp air hit her skin with a welcome presence. She blinked against the gray sky, willing her eyes to work. As they adjusted to the stark difference, her eyes bolted around to asses her location.

Suddenly her eyes landed on what she hoped would be her saving grace. It was just a dumpster, but to her, it looked like the best damn camouflage out there and it was only a half a block away. Through her stone cold determination and gritted teeth, Emma limped toward the giant piece of metal. She just knew she needed to put some distance between her and that awful place.

As she reached the dumpster, her body succumbed to the pain and she collapsed. She found a cardboard box and crawled inside, pulling some garbage bags around to conceal her as much as possible. Every little noise sent her mind into a tailspin hoping that it was not her captor. Silent prayers were sent up, prayers that Killian would find her and take her back to safety.

While the rest of their team had set up at the precinct, Killian took to driving the streets in hopes of finding anything that would lead them to Emma.

After a couple of hours of driving, his nerves not calming much, but after a call from David with news that they had a name matched with the car and an address, Killian turned the car around. As he did, though, he caught a tiny glimpse of what appeared to be some fabric spilling out between garbage bags. As his eyes focused on the print, he just about lost his mind. "Emma!" He shouted from behind the wheel.

Those were Emma's pajamas. "Breathe, Killian. This might be a trap." He coached himself, knowing that if he made a rash move, it might get them into a much deeper issue. Instead he dialed David's number. "Dave?" "Killian, what is it?" Killian grasped the steering wheel as he spoke. "There's…there's some fabric by this dumpster that looks like Emma's pajamas. I want to go see…" His breathing was shallow as his voice trailed off. David swallowed hard. Emma. "Okay, where are you? I'll be right there along with a team. Hang tight. We'll be there in five."

Five minutes passed, feeling much more like five hours. He could barely stand the thought of leaving Emma there for even that short time. She was undoubtedly in pain, what if she was barely alive? No, he couldn't let himself go there.

Suddenly his attention was drawn to the dark Charger that pulled up behind him. Looking in the rearview mirror he caught a glimpse of David.

Emma heard car doors being slammed, but she dared herself not to move at the sounds. Fearing the worst, that her kidnapper had hunted her down and she was now in for another dose of his revenge.

To her sheer relief and surprise, came a voice, a voice that she knew to be distinctly Killian's. Relief washed over a thousand times. There it was again, "Swan?"

Her pain addled brain barely functioning, Emma shoved a couple of the dark bags to get a look at the person. But just as she managed to focus, Killian turned at the sound of plastic rustling. His face pale, he moved faster than anyone would think possible to her side. "Emma!" He exclaimed, wrapping his arms around her, embracing her as only he could. "Are you okay, love?" She nodded, labored breaths racking her body, swimming in pain she took a breath to verbally answer, but instead she passed out everything suddenly too much for her to take in.

"Swan! Stay with me Swan!" Killian screamed as he cradled her injured body as carefully as he could, rushing toward the waiting ambulance. He laid her down on the stretcher and with a quick kiss on the forehead, he stepped back and let the paramedics do their job.

For a moment, he stood and watched the team work. A strong hand on his shoulder brought him back to reality. "We found her, Killian. Everything's going to be okay." Killian nodded, his emotions too high to say anything. "Why don't we head to the hospital? I know Emma will want to see you when she wakes up." "That sounds like a good plan. Thanks, Dave."

The sun was setting as Killian was escorted to Emma's room. She'd been admitted simply for observation and to manage her pain level. The doctor assured him that she was fine, barring her ankle, on which he had completed a thorough exam and had scans done. Surprisingly everything was still in tact and the team had re-splinted it.

Gravity hit Killian like a ton of bricks as he entered her room. Her skin pale and her ankle set on a stack of pillows to aid in bringing the swelling down. Emma's eyes were closed, he figured she was asleep. But as soon as she sensed his movement, her eyes fluttered. "Killian, you're here... you found me." It was almost whispered, but he didn't miss it for anything as he reached in to squeeze her hand. "I will always find you, love." He whispered through a weary smile.

The next few hours were filled with a handful of visitors, mainly coworkers intermingled with a few friends. The doctor had promised she could go home in the morning if everything was still under control.

The sun shone brightly as Killian cracked the blinds open. It was a glorious day in New York and a smile lit Emma's face as soon as she was given the "all clear" to head home.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N - Finally getting a new chapter up. Thank you so much for sticking with me and for all the follows and reviews. They mean a lot to me! Y'all are the best!**

* * *

After some strategic thinking and planning, and for her safety, David suggested that Emma stay with them for a few days. He figured that whomever the idiot was that decided to kidnap an NYPD detective, might be dumb enough to come back to the scene of the crime, hunting for her again after she disappeared.

Emma sat up on her elbows as she listened intently to David's plan. Killian seemed to be on board immediately and Emma figured she wouldn't be able to convince the duo otherwise. Well that and, although she'd never admit it, she really didn't want to go back to her apartment alone.

Even though Emma had made up her mind that she would go along with David's plan, she couldn't give them the satisfaction that she'd given in so easily, but after David hung the promise of "Aunt Emma" and Neal time in front of her, she quickly agreed.

The next bit of time passed in a flurry of activity and before she knew it she was in a wheelchair, heading for the exit. Killian tenderly helped her into the car and Emma leaned her head back against the headrest, heaving a long sigh of relief. She was safe, and with a man who she was growing to care more and more about with passing each day. And yet, while her feelings scared the crap out of her, she reminded herself that they were still two humans with very broken pasts, even though their hearts were unexplainably growing together.

* * *

Killian parked at David and Mary Margaret's building and gingerly helped Emma out of the car. Her crutches were still at her apartment and Killian had promised that once she was safe at her friends' place, he would fetch some of her things.

Emma stood, careful not to put any weight on her still very broken ankle and Killian wrapped his arms around her, lifting her up like she was a feather.

With their guest room being transitioned into a nursery, Emma had full reign of the couch. As Killian lowered her down, and Mary Margaret fussed over her, making sure she had enough pillows and the like, Emma sighed, filled with a mix of emotions from happy that she was so well taken care of to frustrated that she couldn't be at home right now.

Nevertheless, Emma leaned back into the soft cushions, momentarily allowing her brain a reprieve from the wicked thoughts rumbling through it. The last time she'd been this afraid and willing to hurt someone for personal reasons was when she was living with the foster family whose father had shoved her down the stairs.

But the voice, the voice of her kidnapper also haunted her. She knew the voice from somewhere, she just couldn't place where…

Suddenly she became of aware of Killian's voice as he handed her a pad of paper. "Earth to Emma." He said, waving his hand in front of her face, a slight smile dancing on his lips. Emma shook her head and breathed deeply. "Sorry, I guess I zoned out." She smiled up at him. "You okay love?" "Yeah, I'm fine." "What do need from your apartment? I can get some things and bring them back for you." Emma wiped a hand over her face, trying to think of everything she would need for a few days away from home.

A few moments later, she handed the pad back to Killian, the page nearly covered with items and their locations. Sensing her tentativeness about him searching her apartement for the needed items, he reassured her in a soft voice. "Don't worry, love, I've got it. I'll get the items and be back before you know it." With a quick squeeze of her hand he was off. Off to be her knight in shining armor.

Once Killian was gone and David had given explicit directions to both women about answering the door, etc. He headed back to the station to hopefully get some work done.

Mary Margaret settled in to one of the recliners to feed Neal and Emma closed her eyes, already worn out by the day's activities.

Killian searched Emma's apartment with a fine tooth comb, hoping he'd find something, anything really that might lead them to information on this man. After a while of searching and coming up empty handed, he settled for hunting down the items on Emma's list.

He'd finally collected everything, even ending up fishing out one of her suitcases and computer bag to keep everything together. One of the most perplexing items she asked for was a blanket embroidered with her name and bordered with purple satin ribbon. He ran his fingers along the stitching. Was this Emma's baby blanket? From what he'd gathered she had no family, growing up passed from one foster home to another. But where would she have gotten such a beautiful blanket? Clearly someone cared… perplexing to say the least.

The last thing he grabbed on his way out were her crutches. His heart stopped as he reached for the metal, his brain remembering the terror he'd felt as he saw them lying on the ground next to her bed without a trace of her, not even even thirty six hours ago.

Killian swallowed hard, closing his eyes momentarily against the emotions threatening him, grateful that Emma was safe. Yes, more damage than anyone could dream of had been inflicted on her, but she would recover and they would make it. His mind drifted to him finally spilling his feelings, to her reaction. And oh how he wondered what was going on in that beautiful blonde covered head of hers.

Thank goodness, David had suggested they both spend a few nights at he and Mary's place. In the meantime, Killian had moved to his own apartment and was absentmindedly picking up his necessities and throwing them in a duffle bag.

Finally Killian had collected everything for the both of them and headed to load the items into his car. As he did, a black Camaro purred onto the street, driving slowly past him. As any good detective would, Killian made note of the plate, color, make and model of the car. He eased in behind the wheel and everything came to a screeching halt. "Bloody hell, that genius is still around…" Faster than normally possible, Killian had Dave on the phone and was explaining the situation. "Yeah, I stand by my decision, neither you or Emma are going back to that building right now. I've already assigned a team to your apartments. They'll be posing as you and Emma in hopes of catching him." David paused. "Make sure you aren't followed. And if you have any thought that you might be, do me a favor and lose them. Call me if you think you have a trail." "Will do. Thank you."

David had given Killian the code to the underground parking for their building in hopes of protecting him and his location. The higher ups at work had assigned some special security to David's building as well.

In addition to the code, David gave Killian his spare apartment key, which Killian used and entered the space as quietly as possible, leaving the bags near the door for the time being after noticing the three residents were peacefully asleep.

He smiled as he stole a moment, quietly sinking into a chair, imagining the scene that would surely entail as they awoke to find him already inside, watching over them as best he could.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N - ****Finally a new chapter! **

**What I initially intended to be a sweet little story has totally taken on a life of its own. Sorry, but not really. ;) Hope you're enjoying the ride as much as I'm thoroughly enjoying fleshing out these crazy ideas swirling around in my brain. **

**Thank you so much for the follows and reviews! They make my day!**

**P.S. This may be the last update for a couple of weeks. I'm in the middle of a crazy season at work right now. But I promise I'm already working on the next chapter(s), so just hang tight, more is on the way. :)**

* * *

Emma was the first to awaken from her nap. As she blinked away sleep she inhaled sharply, suddenly aware of Killian's presence. Her hand shot up to immediately smooth any stray hairs, as it did though, her brain questioned why she even cared what she looked like. For the most part, up until this point she had convinced herself she wasn't ready to open herself up to love again. Especially love with her work partner.

But Graham. Damn it. Graham had been her partner for years, her work _and_ life partner. They'd been close, much closer than all of her NYPD coworkers had warned. Thus the time off and the need for therapy. His death was not something she took lightly, nor was it something so easily recovered from. The second his face popped into her mind she abandoned all her insistence that she and Killian could not become a couple, or whatever was going on between them.

"You all right, love?" Killian's softly accented voice jolted her right out of her thoughts and raced her back to reality. "Yeah, I am." She replied, a small smile pasted on her face. "How are you holding up?" He questioned, moving toward her with an ice pack in his hand. She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, sitting up sightly as Killian settled the pack on her splint and rearranged the pillows behind her back.

"I'm okay." She sighed, hoping he would silently read her thoughts and understand that she wasn't in the mood for a heart to heart, or to really even talk. Her brain just kept swirling, all the thoughts of the man she'd loved, and now this new man in her life having nowhere to escape. This man insisting that he wasn't going anywhere. At that, Killian paused, studying her for a moment, then nodded, "okay, well we're all here to help." "Thanks." Satisfied that she was as okay as she was going to be for the time being, he turned and moved to retrieve their bags. By this time, Mary Margaret was up and starting dinner. She'd laid Neal down in his playpen and was working to boil some water for pasta.

Within short order, the apartment was filled with the delicious scents of basil and garlic as Mary set about preparing some pesto pasta with chicken.

David returned home as Mary was putting the finishing touches on dinner. He looked in on his wife and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Hey." He dragged his thumb along her back in just enough of a sweet caress to send a shiver down her spine. "Hey." she turned to meet his eyes. Through a smirk she teased, "not now, not while we have guests… later..." She kissed him and turned her attention back to dinner.

Since Emma was in no position to be anywhere but the couch, they decided to eat in the living room. Emma smiled, content that she was surrounded by people who genuinely cared about her. Tonight that was all she needed, just to feel the warmth and love of "family."

Dinner passed in a blur, as they all worked to keep the conversation light. Finally David rose and offered to do the dishes. Mary Margaret helped Emma into her pajamas and to the bathroom so she could clean up a bit before going to sleep. Killian took to fluffing Emma's pillows and laying out the quilt Mary had pulled out earlier.

As Emma settled in, Mary covered her with the quilt. "Sweet dreams, friend." Mary said softly as she patted the quilt. "Thanks." It was simply a gentle whisper from Emma's lips. She closed her eyes, a tiny smile tugging at the corners of her lips. It was only seconds before her breathing evened out and everyone hushed their voices, allowing her the much needed rest.

It was nearly midnight when Killian stepped out of the bathroom, teeth brushed and face washed, all ready for bed. The sight that greeted him caught him so off guard that he reached for the nearest chair to steady himself. Emma was sleeping soundly on the couch, the quilt draped over her body, blonde locks spilling over the pillow and down the arm of the couch. His throat caught, tears pulling at his eyes. Suddenly a warm hand touched his shoulder. "You okay, Killian?" Quickly clearing his throat, attempting to mask the thoughts clearly shooting around his brain. "Yeah, I'm fine…." His voice trailed off. "Just glad she's safe I guess." He admitted, shrugging, as he struggled to put a small smile on his face. "I think we should all get some sleep." David smiled as he broke away from the conversation.

Before stealing upstairs to the loft, Killian pressed a kiss to Emma's temple and tucked in the blankets gently. "I found you, love. You're safe now." He moved her crutches to the floor beside the couch and turned off the light.

* * *

Emma woke in a cold sweat, sitting up straight, blinking past her sleepiness and the darkness enveloping the room. It was just a dream, a bad dream mind you, but a dream nonetheless. She took a deep breath, working to calm herself. In the dream, she was being chased by a dark figure, with a face she just couldn't place. Was it someone she knew?

Turning on the small lamp by the couch helped. At least she could see some of her surroundings and realized she was not alone (in a good way), nor at all where her dream had placed her location wise. She was safe.

Her eyes darted toward the guest room the second she heard the soft whimpers coming from inside. Had her breathing woken Neal? Surely not, but she _was _sure a conversation was going to ensue once one of his parents woke. She debated, albeit momentarily, getting up and trying to soothe him. Abandoning that idea as soon as she began to move her ankle off its perch. Pain shot through her leg and it was all she could do to fight the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She was sure she was on the verge of vomiting. Great.

Hearing his son's cries, a sleepy David emerged from the bedroom and, after a quick look at Emma's pale face he knew something was up. "You okay?" He whispered. Emma obviously didn't hear him as she focused on her breathing, not knowing how she was going to make it to the bathroom. "Emma!" This time David's voice cut through. Her eyes darted up and locked with his. "Are you okay?" A very faint "no" was all she could get out at the risk of vomiting on her friends living room floor.

Something checked in David's mind, Emma's expression, and the way she held a hand to her mouth. "Oh no…" he breathed as he grabbed a fussy Neal and darted toward the closet for a bucket. No sooner had he set the bucket down than Emma vomited.

The commotion woke Mary Margaret, who groggily emerged from the bedroom, rubbing her eyes. "What's going on?" Searching the room for her husband and suddenly finding him, a baby in one arm and holding his partner's hair back with the other. "Oh my gosh, Emma!" She immediately ran to her friend's side, taking over for her husband.

In an effort to calm the blonde down she gently rubbed her back. After what felt like the longest time, Emma sat back. Her ankle throbbing, the most horrendous taste in her mouth. She leaned back on the pillows Mary had set for her and placed her hand on her forehead. "Ugh. I was not expecting that. I haven't been sick in years. Stupid pain pills…" She grumbled.

"Can I help you get cleaned up? Mary Margaret's voice was so calming, it was exactly what Emma needed right now. Emma nodded, "yeah that would be good. Thank you." "Do you think you can get to the bathroom? It'd be easier if we could get you in there." Emma breathed in deeply. "I think so." "Good." Mary Margaret nodded, handing Emma her crutches and helping her stand.

Mary Margaret was such a mother and it was just what Emma needed, especially after her dream and then throwing up. Even if security hadn't been an issue, it was becoming clear to her why she shouldn't be alone right now. As things had currently gone down, there would have been no way she could have taken care of herself in her current state.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N** \- Hey everyone! Thank you for waiting! I didn't abandon you, or this story. So sorry for the long wait, but the past weeks have been far too full for me to write.

Without further ado, here's the next chapter.

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Killian woke early the next morning feeling more rested than he'd been in ages. He moved downstairs only to find David, Mary Margaret, Emma and little Neal were all asleep in various places throughout the room.

"Interesting night they must have had." He murmured to himself as he started the coffeemaker. As the coffee brewed it pulled the three sleeping adults out of their slumber into a semi-conscious state.

As Emma blinked awake and rubbed her eyes, Killian noticed and moved closer to greet her. "Morning, love." "Hmmm, morning." Emma groaned as she stretched, her stomach still a bit topsy turvy from the night's events.

Killian seated himself ever so gently on the arm of the couch at blonde's feet. "What happened last night? Looks like it was quite eventful." A soft snort came from his partner. "I guess you could call it eventful…" She eyed Killian not sure whether she wanted to spill the entire truth, or just let bits and pieces out. A soft half smile danced across her lips as she shook her head. "Last night was...well, let's just say it was interesting." "Just interesting, love?" "Yep, just interesting. I'm glad it's morning. We'll just go with that. Satisfied?" "Mmmm, for the time being." Killian looked at her with a playful glance and a wink to go with it."

The day moved swiftly as Emma maintained her spot on the couch and Killian, Mary Margaret and David all took their turns helping her as needed.

* * *

The next weeks passed in a blur as Emma had follow up appointments and started physical therapy.

Probably the thing that made her the most frustrated was all the waiting. The waiting for her bones to heal, waiting to go back to work (even desk duty would thrill her), waiting for evidence to pull together the case against against her assailant.

Waiting.

Emma Swan was NOT good at waiting. And one afternoon as she sat in the waiting room at her doctor's office, it got the best of her as she stood and grabbed her crutches. Killian, who happened to be her "person" for this appointment sat carefully quiet as she stated she needed to use the restroom and left the room.

As the nurse called her name Killian glanced around the room and frowned. Where was she? It shouldn't take her that long… He pasted on a smile as he approached the nurse and let her know he'd find Emma quickly.

"Emma?" He whispered loudly as he tapped on the restroom door. No response aside from a few stifled sniffles. "Emma, are you alright?" His tone was infinitely more concerned now as he nervously awaited her response.

The only response he received was the lock clicking to open the door. "Emma?" He again whispered as he pushed the door open, surprised to find his Swan with tear filled eyes, clinging to the hope that something good would come from this appointment. After a bit of reassurance, Emma followed Killian back to the waiting room.

"One more appointment down…" Emma huffed as she and Killian waited for the elevator. In a stroke of mindlessness, Killian reached his hand out and tenderly touched Emma's shoulder. "I know love, I know."

* * *

The call came late that afternoon. It was the call Emma had been dreading since this whole ordeal began. "Emma Swan." She answered, words short and clipped. "Yes. Okay. Thank you. Goodbye."

Everyone sat, wanting to ask, but not daring to speak. A heavy silence enrobed the room finally, after a deep breath Emma spoke. "Well, we have a trial date. November 12." She slumped down, head resting in her palms. Killian was the first to break the silence. "Okay. We've got a month on that. That's good, gives us some time to prepare." "Yeah, and me more time to dread it…"


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N Thank you all so much for following along! This story just keeps taking twists and turns that I never see coming! **

**Hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

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Neal's hushed whimpers and that stupid falling sensation that we all seem to get brought Emma to awaken with a start. Waves of pain rushed through her lower leg as her body jerked.

She opened her eyes with a startling clarity as to deeper info on her attack. Up until this point she just knew that they had tracked down the bastard, but she hadn't come to the full realization as to who he was.

Well, this was a total change up now. His words played over and over in her head. "You're going to pay for what you've done Detective."

She shook her head as if to somehow clear it from the loop playing. That voice though, it had come back to be in a moment of clarity. It was the same voice she'd heard after being shoved down the stairs at fourteen.

"Swan?" Her head jerked at the soft voice. Pain shone clearly in her eyes. "Everything okay, love?" With a deeper than normal breath, Emma forced herself to recount her dream to Killian.

"I know the DA said they've got a suspect in my case, but they didn't tell me who… and I've had this really gut wrenching feeling that I know the person who attacked me." Killian just nodded his head as Emma adjusted her position so she was a bit more comfortable. "I'm pretty sure that it was my foster dad, or one of his flunkies. You know, the one who pushed me down the stairs when I was fourteen…" Her voice trailed off as she worked to keep her tone hushed. She didn't want to worry Mary Margaret with the thought.

Clearly in pain from the fresh thoughts as well as some pain in her ankle, Killian moved Emma's feet and since her boot was off while she was seated he tenderly worked out a few kinks in her calf as well as gently working the muscles in her foot carefully avoiding the actual fracture location.

"Mmmm, that feels amazing." Emma sighed as the tension in her body slowly began to drain.

Killian reached for the ice pack as Emma leaned back in to the pillows, savoring the quiet moments. Knowing that the trial was coming was not helping with the relaxation overall, but knowing she had Killian by her side brought an overarching peace she hadn't felt in ages.

"Will you two be alright for a bit? I need to run to the store and drop off lunch for David." Mary Margaret's tone was smooth, but Emma didn't miss Mary's innuendo of leaving them alone for a while.

With the apartment quiet, Killian finally dove in to a subject he knew could be met with opposition, but he also knew it needed some time to be aired. And even though they each were savoring moments with the other, Killian knew it was time.

"Emma?" He asked softly as he pressed in along the ball of her foot. "Yeah?" Her response was lazy and came with a very drowsy tone. Maybe now wasn't the time, Killian thought as he nearly abandoned the idea. However, with the apartment empty, he knew it was now or never.

"Have you thought about going home?" His eyes darted quickly to meet Emma's as she inhaled a sharp breath. "A little." She let out the breath and Emma being, well, Emma, was not one to lay all her cards on the table, but today it felt right. So she spilled. "To be honest the thought kinda freaks me out. I mean, I know I'm a cop, and I know I carry a gun, and and and… But…" Her voice caught as she worked through the emotions now tying her former foster dad to her attack was almost unbearable. The thought of facing him in court. It was nearly unbearable. She finally shook her head as if to clear all the terrifying thoughts.

Killian broke the silence and tension by throwing out a question that Emma hadn't even considered. "What would you think…?" Now it was his turn to trail off, leaving Emma with a head quirking mystery. "What would you think of moving in together?" Killian spouted it off and without so much as a pause he quickly chased it with another statement. "I mean, we could find another place if you want. Or we could stay at mine." Killian continued to ramble off insignificant things as tears filled Emma's eyes and she blinked them back furiously, the lump suddenly forming in her throat telling far more of her true feelings for Killian. Feelings she never expected to feel.

"Well, Swan, what do you say?" Finally meeting Killian's eyes, Emma steadied her breathing. "It sounds like an amazing idea. I have no idea how to traverse the relationship stuff and baggage that I know will ultimately come, but I'm game if you are."

* * *

Over dinner, the four discussed what life would look like for Emma and Killian and when Emma would move out of David and Mary Margaret's apartment.

David suggested, as did Killian that it would probably be smartest to start fresh with a new apartment. Mary agreed quickly and Emma was finally convinced. There were plenty of apartments in the city and Emma need safety and security.

* * *

Apartment hunting with a busted leg and crutches wasn't her favorite thing to do, but being with Killian? She had no complaints over that. They finally settled on a place with twenty four hour security and a view of Central Park. It ended up being a beautiful compromise and a lovely melding of their two styles.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N This chapter has been brewing since the abduction took place. Sorry it's short. There's a good chance I'll come back and add some dialogue, so be sure to add it to your favorites. **

**Thank you to those of you who have favorited this story, your support means a lot to me!**

* * *

For the most part the past few weeks had been quiet. While Emma was dreading the trial, she was enjoying feeling safe again and after settling in to their new apartment, she had actually been cleared to return to work and honestly she couldn't have been more thrilled.

She and Killian flowed back into their cases like no time had passed between them and their work. In fact her first week back, they even closed up two cases that had gone cold years ago.

It became quite apparent to all their coworkers that the detectives were working better together now than ever, and it was becoming clearer everyday to Emma that her accident was one of the best things to happen to her. And although everything seemed to irritate the hell out of her she was actually happy.

The morning of the trial, Emma was a mess and went about this way and that, willing her brain to function. Having to relive any of her past was terrifying, but choosing to relieve the last three months felt like hell to her.

Thank goodness Killian was never far away. He was the only one she'd even consider comforting her after such a day.

What surprised Emma was the support team that had shown up in the courtroom. Her lack of family growing up left her almost confused as to how to handle her emotions when times like these arose.

* * *

"The court would like to call Detective Emma Swan to the stand." The words echoed in Emma's ears. With a deep breath and a quick squeeze of Killian's hand she stood and limped her way to the witness stand. "You've got this love." Killian whispered as he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

Glancing at David, Mary Margaret and baby Neal reminded Emma that she was surrounded by people who cared deeply for her. It also reminded her of everything she'd made it through and what she had to live for.

Dressed in her red leather jacket, jeans and her mismatched boots, Emma made the arduous trek up to the witness stand. It was times like this that Emma needed her armor.

* * *

Day to day, the trial pressed forward, calling everyone who'd ever had a run in with this man to the stand, even Killian and David had their moment in the hot seat. By the end of day three Emma was exhausted, furious, and totally worn thin emotionally. She was beyond grateful she didn't have to work right now.

Reliving her abduction was sheer agony. She recounted the pain she felt as the man pulled her to her feet, and forced her stand on both. Just two days out from surgery on her broken ankle, she wanted to pass out, to blackout right then and there, in hopes that he would not carry out his plan. But when he threatened her with a knife to her throat and the promise of a beating, she moved as best she could, stumbling as her injured ankle was forced to take on her full body weight.

She wiped furiously at the tears that pricked at the back of her eyes, a few spilling out on to her cheeks. Breathing intensely, she forced herself to make eye contact across the courtroom with Killian. In the moment, words not needed, he seemed to understand and gave a slight nod to her that things were okay and he would take care of her as soon as he could. If he could wrap his arms around her right now, he surely would.

What was possibly worse was having to search deep inside for the buried feelings of being shoved down the stairs of having to hide her bruised and soere ankle as a high school freshman. That pain coupled with her recent attack made her nearly crazy.

* * *

Soon enough the trial was over and the man had been sentenced to life in prison. He'd abducted and raped his fair share of women throughout his life and with his last attack to Emma, he'd picked on the wrong person.


	16. Chapter 16

Emma sat quietly on the balcony, grasping her warm coffee mug, contemplating her next move for the day. The sun was warm for mid-November, but the air still cool enough that it brought chills to her skin.

She savored the feeling though, because for one, it meant she was very much alive. A few months ago, trapped in the trunk, then the basement, she'd wondered if she would ever experience moments like these again, and now here she was very much alive and able to take in all of the feelings.

Since Emma's ordeal, and with Killian and her having moved in together, she had cut back her work hours significantly and Killian was working today, so she was left alone today to do "whatever she fancied" as Killian had told her as he'd gently kissed her on his way out the door that morning.

Suddenly the intercom buzzed, pulling her back to a different reality. Emma pushed herself up out of the chair, leaving her mug and limped toward the sound, finally free of crutches, but not the boot quite yet. Every day though, she was walking better. And honestly she was thankful for anything at this point.

"Yes?" She pushed the button, and waited for anything from the other end. "Delivery for Emma Swan." Came an unfamiliar voice from the other end. Emma hesitated for a moment, thoughts and emotions flooding her brain. "Okay, c'mon up."

Emma moved to the kitchen counter and grabbed her gun, every unexpected guest or delivery throwing her into a small tailspin.

Eventually a knock came at the door. Emma looked through the peephole, seeing a grinning flower delivery man holding a huge bouquet of her favorite flowers, gardenias.

She cautiously unlocked and opened the door, working to keep her breathing even as her heart pounded in her chest.

A few moments later, Emma carried the bouquet toward the table, setting it down in the middle. Finally standing back to admire it. Suddenly she noticed the card carefully stuck in the middle. As she pulled it out and read it, she heard the lock click on their door.

Emma turned around to meet Killian's dark eyes and dazzling smile. "I hope you like them, love." He whispered as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "They're perfect." She purred, leaning her head back into his embrace. "Thank you."

* * *

Spring was blooming in the big apple and Emma felt a true lightness in her attitude for the first time in months. She'd left the office a little early, leaving Killian and David to their meeting. She headed to the first grocery store to pick up the ingredients for a dinner she knew he'd love.

Emma unlocked the door, her hands full with the groceries she'd picked up.

An hour later Emma's phone dinged, alerting her that she had a new text message. Checking her phone she saw that Killian was heading home. She put the final touches on dinner and lit the candles on the table.

"What's the occasion?" Killain asked, his curiosity rising as he placed his hands on her shoulders. Emma shrugged. "Do I need a reason to cook dinner for my boyfriend?" Killian smiled. "Not at all. I was just curious."

Emma rested her hands on the counter while she smiled at Killian. "What is it love?" His Irish accent taunting her more than normal tonight. "I don't know... I'm just happy. It still surprises me sometimes." She reached up to run her hands through his hair. "I know love, me too." He reached down and rested his hands on her hips, pulling her in until their lips were locked. All at once, the oven timer went off and both were startled enough to stop abruptly. Killian chuckled as Emma turned around, grabbing the potholders and pulling the pan from the oven.

With a swift kiss to her temple, Killain stepped away. "I'm going to grab a quick shower. I'll be out in a few."

By the time Killian had finished, the table was set and food was waiting. Emma sat happily at the table, just waiting for her dark haired man to finish and join her.

They ate and talked about this and that, every so often Killian would reach across the table and grab Emma's hand, tracing mindless pattern across her palm. Gosh he loved her.

When it was time for dessert, Killian surprised Emma by telling her to stay put, that he had a surprise. Emma cocked her head as her eyes followed Killian into the kitchen and back again with a beautiful slice of New York cheesecake. As Killian set it down, Emma noticed something shiny on the plate. He eyes darted to the shine, and then quickly back to Killian as she realized he was getting down on one knee next to her chair. She immediately covered her mouth as a small squeal escaped.

"Emma Swan," he began. "From the day I met you I knew there was something special about you. Something i just couldn't shake. Something that told me I wanted to know more. And everyday since then I've just grown more and more fond of you. Now, I'd like to ask you to join me on the biggest adventure yet. Marriage." Emma sniffled, blinking back tears and emotions.

"Emma Swan, will you marry me?"

Emma's reaction was so out of character for her that even he didn't know how to react. She jumped out of her seat, wrapping her arms around Killian's neck, nearly knocking him to the ground.

"Yes! Hes, a hundred times yes! Of course I'll marry you!"

The end.

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A/N - I wanted to end on a high. They've been through so much and this felt natural, so I went with it. I also decided to leave it open in case I want to add more at some point in time. Hopefully you've enjoyed the ride. It's been fun to see where the story took them. Thank you for following along!


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